Slam Dunk: Inside Stuff Au Revoir
by Eliar Swiftfire
Summary: The murderous, malicious, backstabbing Rukawa's Sis had sent her brother into a coma... will he ever wake up...? The CONCLUSION of my Inside Stuff saga... The story's told from the end to the beginning. So the prologue is the epilogue.


_** PROLOGUE (or is it the Epilogue?) **_

_ Fire._

_ It surrounded him, leaping, swirling, and brilliant flames, devouring the furnishings of the Headquarters. A nearby tapestry of the NERV logo, was consumed, silken strands blackening, turning to ashes. The very floor on which he stood was scorched, the marble slabs cracked and melting. Yet he walked on, there was something here... something he had to see... something he had to understand. _

_ The bodies of people were everywhere in the building, some still lived, fading voices calling out for help and comfort. At one corner, a boy knelt nearby weeping softly, holding a pile of metal that was once his robotic cat. At another, a group of Pokemon surrounded their trainer's corpse, a boy who was once a champion of Light before being corrupted by the temptation of Darkness. Then, beside the door, the lifeless Gendo Ikari looked up at him, Death had frozen a grotesque smile of mockery on his face. _

_ Faces once full of life, now slowly fading as the cold, cold chill of Death crept upon them and stilled their cries. He walked past them without another glance... he could not watch... dare not. _

_ Out of the studio, and a short walk along several short passageways, until he stood before a door. The brass plaque above it read RUKAWA'S SIS, and he knew he had found what he was looking for. The end of this nightmare. _

_The door is flung open from the other side, and from out of the inferno within a burning figure steps out... It falls to the ground, shudders, and is still._

_ And he stepped inside, only to see flames spreading quickly throughout the room. Everything was consumed mercilessly by the fire, yet, at the very center of it all, a lone figure stood..._

_ "So... are you here to take me home?"_

_ A mocking smile._

_ Anger. Hatred. Sorrow. Dark emotions stirred within himself. The cool, emotionless facade of his threatened to crack as he stared intensely at the person who was responsible for the death and destruction around him._

_ The person who was once his sister... _

_ ***_

How long has it been? A week? Time has lost all meaning to her.

He is still in a coma. 

The doctors say he is brain dead. They say he feels nothing, senses nothing. But when she lays her head against his chest, she feels the rise and fall of his breaths under her.

He is still alive and he will fight.

Fighting to wake up. 

_ Do you feel me, love? Can you know, in your dream-state, how much I love you? Wake up soon, love. See me with your eyes, and feel my love with your waking mind._

Sakuragi Hanamichi burst into his room, his visage a mask of pure outrage and hatred. 

"YOU PATHETIC FOX! WAKE THE HELL UP, YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP!" He shouted at the comatose figure. "WE STILL HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE GAME, DAMMIT! YOU AND I! AND I AIN'T GONNA LET YOU DIE ON ME BEFORE I WHUP YOUR CANDY ASS! ARE YOU SCARED? HUH? YOU COWARDLY SCUM!" 

His face had gone red, his voice hoarse, from screaming. His shoulders slumped, suddenly becoming a lot smaller than his 189cm frame. There were tears in his eyes. 

"First... Haruko-chan died... and now... all these... what is this world coming to? What...? Winning the Winter Tournament means nothing at all! It means nothing..." 

He has not acknowledged her presence in the room since he came in so she knows not whether he was talking to him, or merely talking to himself. It doesn't matter anyway.

_ ***_

"Well, I guess this is the end." Urd said. "My mission's done, you've won the Winter Tournament, NERV Corporations has fallen, **Slam Dunk: Inside Stuff** is no more. So many lives lost, but Time heals all wounds. Soon, everything will turn back to normal, and the events of the past few months will appear only in the pages of history, or as images of your memories.." 

"Uh huh." Was the only reply Mitsui could give.

The two were standing at the balcony of Mitsui's apartment, looking out at the buildings of Kanagawa. Midnight was about to approach, the pale moon hovered above, accompanied by the glittering stars.

"I'm leaving now. And you, Silly Mitchy, can finally move back to your room." 

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch." Mitsui said awkwardly. "I never did. And you... you shouldn't leave... there are so many things you still haven't do. Like... like... giving that old guy Maki your declaration of everlasting love. Come on, stay here, I'll, I'll bring you to him or something." 

With a smile, Urd turned to Mitsui and touched his face gently. "He's not my type, Silly Mitchy."

"H... how about... how about Fujima Kenji? Hanagata? Sendoh? I'll... I'll help you set up a date with them... just... just don't go..." There was a hint of desperation on Mitsui's cracked voice. "I'll... I'll feel lonely if you aren't staying with me anymore. This apartment will look unfamiliar and empty, and the only voice I'll ever hear in here is mine, who will be there to wake me up early in the morning? You know how alarm clocks aren't effective against me. I'll never get use to this."

The goddess chuckled. "Nice try, Silly Mitchy. But I ain't falling for any of this, hun. You gotta brush up your acting skills to make yourself more convincing. You need it the next time you meet another girl."

"But..."

"Shhhh..." Urd placed a fingertip on Mitsui's lips. The smile on the goddess' face grew sad. "Nothing lasts forever."

Mitsui stared in horror as he realized that he could actually see through Urd. She was becoming translucent... fading away... 

"_Besides... if those guys were my type, it would be their houses I choose to stay in, not yours._" Her voice was faint, barely audible. "_Silly Mitchy._"

"NO!" Mitsui threw his arms around the goddess-

- only to catch nothing but air.

She was gone.

_ ***_

_ "Are you here to take me home, big brother?" Rukawa's Sis smiled mockingly. _

_ Rukawa nodded wordlessly. _

_ "That's so retarded. But still funny!" The young girl shook her head and laughed. "You really have no idea how very much I FREAKIN' HATE YOU!" _

_ The last sentence came with a hysterical shriek, so forceful and angry that it made Rukawa stagger back. _

_ "And now... now you worked with the others to ruin MY TV show?" Rukawa's Sis said through gritted teeth. "Why? WHY? WHY? WHY DO YOU ALWAYS WANT TO RUIN MY LIFE???? WHY?? I'M THE ONE WHO IS SPECIAL! THE ONE BORN WITH THE SPECIAL GIFT!!!! And you... you're just a normal person, all you can do is play basketball... pathetic."_

_ "You were the one making a fool out of me on national television." Rukawa said tonelessly. _

_ A loud explosion rocked the room, causing Rukawa to lose balance and fall onto the floor._

_ "That's because you weren't with me when I needed you most. Some brother you are. I don't want to see your face again." _

Halfway up, a burning beam came plummeting down, missing him by inches and bringing smaller bits of flaming wreckage down. Separating him from his sister. 

_ There was another explosion. _

_ The force of the blast lifted him into the air and sent him tumbling out of the room. _

_ A sharp pain in his skull._

_ Blood choked him from his scream._

_ Darkness came to envelop him._


End file.
